Team Knicks headed into the Kia Shooting Stars Challenge on Saturday as the favorite, and it didn’t disappoint.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Allan Houston and their celebrity passer, Knicks assistant and Jalen’s dad Rick Brunson, took down three other teams at Intuit Dome to bring some new hardware home to New York during All-Star Weekend in Inglewood.
Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson, Allan Houston and Karl-Anthony Towns won the Kia Shooting Stars Challenge on Saturday. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The first of their competition was Team All-Star, which was made up of Raptors guard Scottie Barnes, Thunder center Chet Holmgren, Pistons legend Rip Hamilton and celebrity passer Druski.
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The next was Team Cameron, which featured Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Hornets guard Kon Knueppel, former Clippers forward Corey Maggette and celebrity passer Anthony Anderson.
Team Harper was the final threat, and it had Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr. and NBA legend Ron Harper on the roster with 2 Chainz as the celebrity passer.
Before the event officially got going, the Brunsons hopped on the microphone, and Rick talked a little smack to his son, which caused Jalen to joke he was “not having a good time.”
Hamilton, who celebrated his 48th birthday Saturday, was also interviewed just prior to tip, and he, too, cracked a quip, kidding about why he was without his trademark mask for the festivities.
Team Knicks headed into Saturday’s event as the favorite. AP
Each squad was given 70 seconds to score from seven spots placed around the basket and 3-point line. Made shots were worth 2, 3 or 4 points.
Team All-Star went first, and with Druski firing them passes, it disappointed with just 16 points.
Team Cameron was next up, and it scored 24 as Anderson tossed the players basketballs from afar. They left the court to “Corey” chants by the pro-Clippers fans in attendance.
Team Harper went third, and with 2 Chainz passing basketballs, it netted a total of 18.
Karl-Anthony Towns sank several big baskets for Team Knicks on Saturday. Getty Images
Team Knicks rounded out the first round with a score of 31.
Team Knicks and Team Cameron advanced to the championship round, and it was the Brunsons, Towns and Houston who came out on top, 47-38. Clutch baskets from Jalen Brunson and Houston helped secure the victory.
Jalen was once again in a joking mode after getting the win, as he told the crowd whenever he’s around his dad, “it’s never fun.”
He then ribbed Rick, adding that his father was not much of a “celebrity passer.”
“But,” Jalen said, “he did his job.”
Jalen went on to say he hoped the championship would help the Knicks in the second half of their regular season.
Several celebrities were featured during breaks in the action, including Spike Lee and NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, who signed mini basketballs and gave them to fans in the stands.
Following the event, Ludacris wowed those in attendance with a concert.
Also on Saturday, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard won the 3-point contest, joining Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only other three-time winners of the event, and the Heat’s Keshad Johnson won the slam dunk contest.
Damian Lillard hasn't played in a single NBA game this season, but he returned to competition to participate in the 3-point shooting contest during All-Star Weekend at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Saturday, Feb. 14.
Lillard found familiar success in his return and joined Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players in NBA history to win the 3-point shooting contest three times. He had won the contest in 2023 and 2024.
Lillard spent the prior two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks after spending the first 11 years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard suffered a torn Achilles tendon last season in the playoffs while with the Bucks.
Damian Lillard wins the 3-point contest
Devin Booker falls short in 3-point contest
Lillard scored 29 points in the final round and set the score that Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns needed to beat. Booker had a hot start to his performance but finished with 27 points, falling short of Lillard's total.
Kon Knueppel competes in 3-point contest's final round
Booker finished the first round with the highest score, 30. Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel was the third member to advance to the final round after finishing the opening round tied with Lillard at 27.
Kon Knueppel opens the @StateFarm NBA 3-Point Contest with a score of 27 🎯
Knueppel finished 4-of-5 on the first rack of the final round but struggled to keep the pace throughout the rest of the racks. He finished the final round with just 17 points.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks during the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Stop if you’ve heard this before, but the Lakers had someone in the dunk contest put up a dud.
His timing clearly was off and based on the run up, it’s probably safe to assume he was going for a free throw line dunk, which he missed by some distance. Unsurprisingly, he got the lowest score in the first round at 44.6 — the average of the five scores from the judges — which meant he was the first dunker of round two.
This dunk was better, as he went between the legs after tapping the ball to himself.
Jaxson Hayes taps it to himself & goes between the legs for his second slam in @ATT Slam Dunk 😤
That one earned him a more respectable score of 47.2, but his complete dud in the first round kept him from moving on to the finals.
Maybe let’s stop putting Lakers in the dunk contest anymore.
Keshad Johnson of the Heat went on to win the event. Carter Bryant of the Spurs finished second while Jase Richardson of the Magic missed out on the finals with Hayes.
Earlier in the afternoon, Damian Lillard came away victorious in the first event of the night in the 3-point contest despite not playing this season due to a torn Achilles. He beat out Kon Knueppel from the Hornets and Devin Booker from the Suns, the latter of whom choked down the stretch.
Damian Lillard's 2nd Round Score: 30 🎯
He has the score to beat in the Final Round of the @StateFarm NBA 3-Point Contest!
They beat out Team Cameron — comprised of Duke players — in the final. Despite having Knueppel and Jalen Johnson on the team, Corey Maggette carried them in the final and nearly won the whole dang thing.
Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Sandy Leon takes batting practices during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
I hope the weekend has been treating y’all well so far! Happy Valentine’s Day to everybody who’s celebrating. Here’s a random clip:
The NBA has a tanking problem. It's had a tanking problem for years. This year, it's getting worse because the upcoming draft has multiple great players.
Earlier this week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for failing to play healthy players.
During a Saturday press conference held in connection with the All-Star Game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the issue at length.
"It's been part of this league for a long time," Silver said regarding the practice of not trying to win in order to get a better draft pick. "I mean, back in the 1960s there was a coin flip. At some point, I think it was in the 1980s, we moved to a lottery. That lottery has been changed roughly five times over the years, to try to stay ahead of some of the behavior of our teams.
"The incentives are not necessarily matched here. I think that the tradition in sports where the worst performing team receives the first pick from their partners. When any economist comes and looks at our system, they always point out you have the incentives backwards there. That doesn't necessarily make sense. I think there was a more classical view of that, in the old days, where it was just sort of an understanding among partners about, in terms of behavior.
'I think what we're seeing is a modern analytics where it's so clear that the incentives are misaligned. . . . Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view, and which was what led to those fines. And not just those fines, but to my statement that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams' behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice. And there is a bit of a note, when you see it quality to this, I mean, we spend a lot of time at the league office going back and forth with teams on injury reports, on coaches' decisions. It's not a position necessarily we want to be in, but . . . it's not what the fans want at the end of the day."
Or do they?
"[M]y caveat is, and this is where teams are in a difficult place, many of you in this room have written, understandably, about our teams, that the worst place to be, for example, is to be a middle of the road team," Silver said. "Either be great or be bad, because then that will help you with the draft. And so, in many cases, you have fans of those teams. It's not what they want to pay for to see poor performance on the floor, but they're actually rooting for their teams in some cases to be bad, to improve their draft chances. So, I think we're coming at it, I'd say, in two ways. One is, again, focusing on the here and now. The behavior we're seeing from our teams, and doing whatever we can to remind them of what their obligation is to the fans, and to their partner teams. But number two, as I also said in that statement, the Competition Committee started earlier this year, re-examining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works. And ultimately any changes will require a vote of the Board of Governors. So then we'll need to go in front of the Board. But there have been lots of different ideas out there over the years, not just necessarily changing the draft lottery odds yet once again, but looking at whether there's a better system here to try to align incentives.
"I think when the point about this year, when you look at totality of the circumstances, I mean, of course, I'm paying attention to what's happening, and the perception is, you have a very deep draft class this year, a perception. Who knows whether this will be the reality, but the next two years' draft classes aren't as good. There's no doubt that's affecting the behavior of our teams. But at the end of the day, I think there needs to — I think all the teams need to step back, the ownership of those teams — and just as a reminder that we're all in this together, that we want to have fair competition, we want to have fair systems, and to keep an eye on the fans, most importantly, and their expectation that we're gonna be putting the best product forward."
For as long as the best draft picks are tied to the worst records, tanking will be a problem in every pro sport — including the NFL. And the punishments imposed this week by the NBA are a slap on the wrist. To truly eradicate tanking, the only solution is to take away the pick the tanking team is hoping to maximize.
Would that be extreme? Yes. Would it be effective? Absolutely.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Malik Reneau scored 26 points and Miami scored the last eight points of the game to beat North Carolina State 77-76 on Saturday night.
N.C. State scored seven straight points to take a 76-69 lead with 1:07 remaining. Then Reneau answered with a three-point play and Tru Washington added a layup to pull Miami to within 76-74 with 32 seconds left.
With 13 seconds to go, N.C. State's Quadir Copeland missed a free throw. The Wolfpack's Darrion Williams fouled Washington on a 3-point attempt on the following possession with three seconds remaining. Washington sank all three of his free-throw attempts before Matt Able missed a 3-pointer to end it.
Reneau shot 12 of 19 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds. Shelton Henderson added 17 points and nine boards for Miami (20-5, 9-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Tre Donaldson chipped in with 14 points and Washington finished with 13 for the Hurricanes, who have won three straight and five of their last six games.
Able and Ven-Allen Lubin scored 17 points apiece to lead N.C. State (18-8, 9-4). Copeland and Williams added 11 points each. The Wolfpack have lost back-to-back games since they had their six-game win streak snapped with a 118-77 loss to No. 24 Louisville.
Able made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points, and Copeland and Lubin added nine apiece to help N.C. State build a 43-37 halftime lead. Reneau scored 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting to pace Miami in the first half.
Up next
Miami: The Hurricanes host Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
N.C. State: The Wolfpack play at home Tuesday against No. 11 North Carolina.
The college baseball season is officially upon us.
UConn baseball team opened its 2026 campaign on Friday night under the lights in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Huskies took part of the MLB Desert Invitational at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the spring training home of both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, but took a gut punch from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. UConn fell 12-2 in a game that was decided by the end of the first inning.
Charlie West received the starting night nod from head coach Jim Penders, to mixed results.
West’s changeup showed elite strikeout potential, evidenced by his six punch-outs across just 3.2 innings of work. The left-hander struggled to limit the baserunners, though. The junior allowed six hits and six free passes, with two of those being hit-by-pitches.
Out of the bullpen, Evan Hamberger made his season debut, while Charlie Hale and Garret Garbinski made their UConn debuts.
Hale performed best out of the three. After working as a starter for most of last season with Endicott College, the righty gave up just one run in 1.2 innings as the swingman.
Garbinski struggled immensely after missing all of last season with Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old was shellacked for four runs in the game’s final inning.
University of Maine transfer Evan Menzel got first cracks at replacing Ryan Daniels’ infield spot, getting the start at second base and reaching base once.
Menzel, primarily a third baseman at Maine, was pushed off the hot corner in deference to the returning Maddix Dalena. After being named 2025 Preseason Big East Player of the Year before missing most of the season with a wrist injury, Dalena returned to UConn’s lineup and picked up one of the team’s four hits on the night.
That knock, an RBI single to score Menzel, gave UConn a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jackson Marshall also singled in the inning.
That advantage was short lived, though. The Cornhuskers picked four runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back. Another run in the second and three more in the sixth pushed the game into blowout territory.
Preseason All-Big East selection Tyler Minick scratched one more across with an RBI single in the top of the seventh, one of two hits on the night for the outfielder. That would be it for UConn while Nebraska scored four more in the bottom of the inning for the mercy rule win.
Shortstop Dylan Carey tripled in the final two runs of the night to walk it off. That was part of a bigger three hit, four RBI performance for the senior.
As a team, the Cornhuskers collected 16 hits. In addition to Carey, Case Sanderson and Cole Kitchens both had three-hit nights.
On the mound, Ty Horn got the start for Nebraska. After allowing the run in the first, the right-hander finished his night with 3.2 scoreless and a total of six strikeouts.
The Huskies will be back on the field tonight, looking to regroup against Kansas State in a 7 p.m. Valentine’s Day showdown at Scottsdale Stadium, the spring training stadium of the San Francisco Giants. The game will stream live on MLB.com.
Team USA moved closer to clinching Group C in the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 with a 6–3 victory over Team Denmark on Saturday afternoon.
However, the win did not come without an uneasy opening 20 minutes.
Denmark carried a 2–1 lead into the dressing room after the first period, thanks to goals from Nick Olesen and Nicholas Jensen. Jensen’s goal—a wrist shot from just inside center ice—somehow slipped past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.
Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy scored for Team USA, who soon seized control of the game with their offensive firepower.
Ottawa Senators team captain Brady Tkachuk knotted the score at 2-2 following an offensive zone face-off win by Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, who then scored the go-ahead goal soon afterward.
Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin increased the lead to 4-2 and, despite a Denmark tally from Phillip Bruggisser, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel restored Team USA's two-goal lead just before the midway point of the third period.
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes capped the scoring, beating backup goaltender Frederik Dichow, who had replaced the injured Mads Sogaard.
Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, playing in his second-career Olympic game, skated in 12:31 of ice time, and had four shots on goal.
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INGLEWOOD, CA — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took a forceful stand against tanking in his NBA All-Star Weekend press conference, talking at length about the hot-button topic that's "been part of this league for a long time."
Earlier this week, the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and Indiana Pacers $100,000 for violations of its player participation policy and conduct detrimental to the league. They aren't the only teams openly tanking, though, ahead of a 2026 draft that's thought to be one of the strongest in recent years.
Silver's response at the Intuit Dome on Saturday was just as blatant.
"Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view," he said. "Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice."
In addition to more fines, Silver was asked if he would consider stripping draft picks from teams that continue to tank.
"There is talk about every possible remedy now to stop this behavior," he said.
Silver also mentioned that the league has had economists look at the draft lottery system and point out how the incentives — the worst-performing teams receiving the best odds for a pick and the teams that just miss out on the playoffs being stuck in the middle of the road — are backwards.
"I think there was a more classical view of that in the old days, where it was just sort of an understanding among partners in terms of behavior," Silver said. "I think what we’re seeing is modern analytics where it’s so clear that the incentives are misaligned. ... The worst place to be, for example, is to be a middle-of-the-road team. Either be great or be bad, because then that will help you with the draft.
"In many cases, you have fans of those teams — remember, it’s not what they want to pay for to see poor performance on the floor, but they’re actually rooting for their teams in some cases to be bad to improve their draft chances."
Silver added that the league is focused on both the short-term response — fines and putting teams on notice about tanking — while also looking for a long-term solution to a problem that has been ever-evolving.
Former Commissioner David Stern introduced the draft lottery in 1985, which Silver said the league has made adjustments to "about five times." Some in the media have begun calling for the draft to be abolished entirely and, while that's an extreme end of the spectrum, Silver admitted Saturday that it might be time — past time, even — for the league to reassess.
"It’s a bit of a conundrum," Silver said. "The All-Star is 75 years old. The league is 80 years old. It’s time to take a fresh look at this to see to whether that’s an antiquated way of going about doing it. Ultimately, we need a system to fairly, I think, distribute players. I think it’s in the players’ interest as well as the teams that you have a level of parity around the league. There’s only so many jobs and so many cities.
"... What we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now, is not working; there’s no question about it. Yes, is there more I can do? Have I attempted not only to respond to behavior we’ve seen but send a clear message that we’re going to be scrutinizing everything we see going forward? Absolutely."
Adam Silver discusses prediction markets
With the news of Giannis Antetokounmpo's recent investment in Kalshi, Silver took a moment to discuss where the league stands as far as prediction markets go.
"We currently are looking at prediction markets essentially in the same way that we’re looking at sports betting markets or sports betting companies," Silver said. "We have a rule that was collectively bargained with the Players Association that players can make, I will call them, de minimis investments in sports betting companies, and we’re applying the same rule to prediction markets."
The rule is that players cannot hold more than a 1% interest in sports betting — and now, by extension, prediction market — companies. To Silver's knowledge, Antetokounmpo's stake in Kalshi is "much smaller" than that, so he is not in violation of any league rules.
But it's still an issue that Silver is keeping a close eye on.
"It’s rapidly evolving," he said. "Prediction markets have now come on the scene fairly recently as, I don’t know how else to say it, major sports betting marketplaces. Whether prediction markets are allowed to go forward in the form they’re in now will, I think, be ultimately an issue for the courts and for Congress.
"But even if they go away, the league is now dealing with essentially 40 different jurisdictions that have legalized sports betting in the United States. Still a huge illegal market. I’d say one other category that I hardly ever hear people talk about is that the last I looked, there are probably 80 countries in the world outside of the United States that also have legalized betting on the NBA."
ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Madison St. Rose led with 15 points and seven rebounds and No. 24 Princeton rode a big second half to defeat Cornell, 59-38 on Saturday.
The Tigers (20-3, 8-2 Ivy League) bounced back from a loss against Columbia on Friday to win their third game in their past four contests. It was the second-lowest scoring game of the season for Princeton after a 58-49 win over Brown on Jan. 24.
Skye Belker had 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists for the Tigers. Fadima Tall added 11 points and six rebounds.
Cornell closed the first half on a 7-0 run to lead 23-15 at halftime, but Princeton erupted for 23 points in the third quarter to turn an eight-point deficit into a ten-point lead.
Princeton controlled the game in the second half, surrendering just 15 second-half points on the way to a comfortable victory.
Clarke Jackson and Paige Engels led the Big Red (8-15, 3-7) with eight points each. Cornell was held to 31% shooting and 24% from beyond the arc.
Up next
Both teams return to action next Saturday, when Princeton hosts Brown and Cornell visits Harvard.
Sep 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt (10) is unable to catch the ball against the Colorado Rockies during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Luis Arraez’s 2026 defensive reclamation project has kicked Casey Schmitt to the curb, and once again the infielder has found himself without a hook to hang his hat.
Schmitt has been the question mark of the Giants’ infield conundrum for more than a year and a half now. Since Matt Chapman’s signing, which blocked Schmitt from his natural position in early 2024, he has wandered the infield desert, kicking stones from position to position, filling in but never settling in while having to scratch and claw for playing time scraps with other rag-tags like Thairo Estrada, Nick Ahmed, Marco Luciano, Brett Wisely, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Christian Koss.
Better suited for the more aesthetic left-side of the diamond, Schmitt has had to adapt to the right-side’s restrained pragmatism as a last resort once Willy Adames locked up the shortstop position. Half of his defensive appearances from 2024 and 2025 have come at second base, a position he had never played until 2023. At the start of last year, Schmitt found himself with a lobster claw on his hand, forced to learn first base in order to stay roster relevant. He made 18 appearances there, most of them coming in April before an injury, and the arrival of Dom Smith, then Rafael Devers.
While Schmitt’s flexibility has been invaluable to the club, it has also come with a personal cost. I’ve wondered at times if the inconsistencies of his schedule and the uncertainties of his role year-after-year has toyed with his development. Instead of being able to focus on his offense, Schmitt has been forced to rethink his defense in a way he never really had to before. His willingness to serve the whims of fickle coaches and front offices in order to gain access to the field has affected his play on it.
There are certain traits that lend oneself to being able to play anywhere at any time with little notice. There is a temperament and style required to be a successful utility infielder. Christian Koss has it. I’m not sure Schmitt does. To me, Schmitt feels like a homebody. A man with simple but essential needs: iced coffee in the fridge, a California burrito to eat, a couch to sit on. In order to really access his power and hit in the way that separates himself from players like Koss, Schmitt needs to be comfortable positionally. He’s a defense-first player at his core. Home is where the glove is, and it’s clear from his defensive position splits where home his, no matter how long he’s been away.
As a third baseman: .286/ .349/ .454 / .803 OPS (217 PA)
On June 8th, Matt Chapman injured his hand trying to dive back to first base. On June 10th, Schmitt started at third base for just the second time all year. He was hitting .180 with a .521 OPS while sporadically covering first. In the 9th inning of that game, he lasered an elevated fastball 408 feet for his first homer of the year. That solo shot sparked a 4-run game-winning rally and set Schmitt off on a 14-game tear in which he slashed .375 with a 1.090 OPS.
Though he committed a costly error in the Colorado finale, Schmitt made amends by becoming the first player in franchise history to hit a grand slam in back-to-back games — both made that much sweeter by coming against, and in, LA.
Schmitt was back in his element, his natural and preferred state. He was a third baseman again. The comfort and ease he felt being in a familiar position led to an outburst at the plate — was it as simple as that? I mean, we had seen something like it before at the end of the 2024 season when Schmitt responded to three consecutive starts at the hot corner against Baltimore with five hits and three RBIs.
Here’s his defensive splits from 2025:
Rather cruelly Schmitt took a fastball to his left wrist in a game on June 25th that promptly brought an end to his hot streak. The two-week stint at third felt like a fever dream. When he returned from the IL, Chapman was back, and reality resided on the right-side of the diamond. Second base beckoned, and though it has never been his position of choice, it gave him the chance to keep riding the wave if he could, providing him the most consistent playing time he has ever had in his short career. From early July to the end of the season, he played in 61 games, most of them at second — and he hit just .220 with a .663 OPS.
Schmitt had the chance in the second half of the season to assert a claim on second base, and he kind of chunked it. Was he homesick for the hot corner? Still focusing a disproportionate amount of energy learning the intricacies of the new position at the expense of his offense? Still dealing with discomfort in his left wrist (which he had surgery on in December)? Or was this just an inevitable leveling out for an offensively temperamental player? All of the above?
Overall, Schmitt made some impressive strides with his plate discipline, but he still ranked below average in BB, K, Whiff, and Chase percentiles. His slightly above average ability to hit the ball hard (when he hits the ball) buoyed him to becoming a pretty average offensive player (101 OPS+) in 2025. Though a MiLB Gold Glove winner years ago, he didn’t rate too well defensively either. All of that so-so-ness meant Buster Posey was keen on finding a replacement. The fact that the replacement was Luis Arraez caused some consternation, but there’s no doubt that the three-time batting champ adds a much-needed, and immediate, contact dynamic to the Giants’ line-up that Schmitt does not.
So with another year gone, Schmitt’s job options remain limited. The soon-to-be 27 year old is currently the front runner for the Giants’ utility role, staring down the barrel of another season pieced together by planned off-days, injury-coverage, sporadic plate appearances, late-game defensive substitutions, and getting really good at sunflower seed stuff. Perhaps it’s what he’s earned, and it’s certainly better than nothing, but it’s definitely not preferred. I feel for the guy. It’s been two years since third base became an impossibility, and yet the base is still there, staring at him from across the infield, reminding him of what could’ve been. It must feel so frustrating to be boxed of your natural position like that, occasionally teased with brief stints of play separated by months…then to be roster-blocked again by another late-signing. But that’s also life on this seamed hardball we call Earth. Adapt, or die. Second base is the only way forward for Schmitt. It’s not ideal, sure, but that’s the deal.
HOUSTON (AP) — Emanuel Sharp had 23 points and six rebounds as No. 3 Houston rallied from an early deficit to beat Kansas State 78-64 on Saturday for the Cougars’ sixth straight win.
Sharp scored 14 points on 4 of 10 shooting in the first half as Houston (23-2, 11-1 Big 12) built a 33-19 halftime lead.
Milos Uzan added 12 points and eight assists, and Kingston Flemings finished with 12 points and seven rebounds for the Cougars, which won their 18th straight at home.
P.J. Haggerty scored 23 points to lead Kansas State (10-15, 1-11). Haggerty surpassed 2,000 points in his collegiate career in the first half, becoming the fifth current Division I player to achieve the milestone.
Nate Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Taj Manning added 10 points for Kansas State. The Wildcats shot 35% from the field, 8 of 26 (31%) from 3-point range, and made 16 of 25 (64%) from the free-throw line.
The Wildcats raced to a 15-6 lead about 8 ½ minutes into the game on a 3-pointer by Haggerty, but Houston responded to finish the half on a 27-4 run. Sharp had nine points and Uzan added seven points in the spurt. Kansas State shot 1 for 15 from the floor to end the half.
Kansas State got no closer than 10 points in the second half.
The Wildcats have lost six consecutive games overall and have lost six straight on the road. Kansas State dropped to 0-6 against ranked teams this season.
Up next
Kansas State: Hosts Baylor on Tuesday.
Houston: Plays Monday at No. 5 Iowa State, the first of three straight games against Top-10 opponents.
One of the biggest surprises this offseason was reliever Edwin Diaz signing with the Dodgers instead of the Mets.
Seemed like a reunion was a no-brainer, but the former Mets closer's decision to take his talents to Los Angeles even caught owner Steve Cohen by surprise.
“I’m not sure exactly how Edwin arrived at that decision, obviously it’s a personal decision, and I thought we made a pretty respectable bid -- I could argue our bid might’ve been better," Cohen said. “But he made his decision, and I’ll tell you something, when things got hot and heavy, when this was coming down, I felt pretty good about our decision to sign Devin Williams. I described it to David [Stearns] that it was really clever, because it was a good hedge in case things didn't work out with Edwin.”
Diaz spoke with the media on Saturday and was asked his thoughts on Cohen's comments.
"It's a market I was in. I was a free agent, so I got the chance to talk with everyone," Diaz told the media, including ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "And I think the Dodgers did a great job recruiting me. At the end of the day, I chose to be here. I have a lot of respect for the Mets organization, players, staff, ownership. They treated me really good. I don't have anything bad to say about them. But at the end of the day, I'm here. This is a new journey for me and I'm happy to be with the Dodgers, so let's see how it goes."
Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers in December and, in his introductory news conference, said it wasn't an easy decision to leave the Mets. But he admitted he ultimately chose Los Angeles because he is "looking to win."
The Dodgers enter the 2026 season winning back-to-back World Series.
Diaz spent seven seasons with the Mets (one missed due to injury), recording 144 saves with 538 strikeouts and owning a 2.93 ERA while making two All-Star teams and winning two NL Hoffman Reliever Awards.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Juke Harris scored 25 points and personally outscored Stanford 9-2 down the stretch, lifting Wake Forest to a come-from-behind 68-63 victory over the Cardinal on Saturday.
The Cardinal led 39-30 at halftime but were unable to extend their lead in the second half. Wake Forest finally tied it at 61 on a layup by Harris with 1:48 remaining. A jumper by Harris with 54 seconds left gave the Demon Deacons their first lead since it was 9-6.
Harris made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 25 seconds and his scoring run was interrupted only by a layup from Ebuka Okorie that made it 66-63 with 10 seconds left. Harris was fouled with nine seconds left and capped the scoring with two more free throws.
Harris made 12 of 13 free throws and the Demon Deacons made 28 of 32 as a team. Stanford was 9 for 14.
Okorie, the nation's seventh leading scorer and third among freshmen at 22.4 points per game, led Stanford (16-10, 5-8 ACC) with 26 points. Benny Gealer scored 11 and Aidan Cammann had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Mekhi Mason scored 10 points for Wake Forest (13-12, 4-8).
A 3-pointer by Cammann tied the score at 9 and started an 11-0 run that gave the Cardinal a 17-9 lead. Although Wake Forest tied it twice, Stanford scored the last seven points of the half and led 39-30 at the break.
Stanford led 58-51 with 6:42 remaining but the Cardinal made only 2 of 12 from the field the rest of the game. Both makes were by Okorie.
Lakers star Luka Doncic told reporters on Saturday that he plans to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday with Team World. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Lakers star Luka Doncic missed their last four games because of a strained left hamstring, but he plans to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at the Intuit Dome.
Doncic, who was injured when the Lakers played the Philadelphia 76ers 1½ weeks ago, worked out before L.A. played the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena and has played some five-on-five recently.
Doncic was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game, which will be his sixth.
“I feel pretty good,” Doncic said Saturday during his media season. “You know, I've been working to get back. Obviously [I] wanted to play the last game, but it wasn't possible. I was almost there, so I think I'll play a little bit.”
His Lakers teammate, LeBron James, was selected as a Western Conference reserve by the coaches, his first time in 21 years not being chosen a starter. James, who didn’t attend the media sessions on Saturday but will talk before the game Sunday, extended his NBA record All-Star selections to 22 in a row.
Doncic, who will play for Team World, was jokingly asked that if he does play will he try to dunk on James, who will be on Team USA Stripes.
“No, I will not try to dunk on LeBron,” Doncic said, smiling.
This will be Doncic’s first time representing the Lakers as an All-Star. His other five came when he played for the Dallas Mavericks, who traded Doncic to the Lakers last February for Anthony Davis.
Doncic was asked about his emotions.
“Every All-Star, just blessed,” he said. “ I'm going to look back at it. I'm a six-time All-Star now, and not everybody can say they're an All-Star. So just take everything into the moment and enjoy this.”
When the NBA coaches selected the All-Star reserves, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was not chosen despite playing some of the best basketball of his career.
But NBA commissioner Adam Silver added Leonard to the roster, allowing him to play in his seventh All-Star Game, which is being hosted in his home arena.
Leonard was asked at his media session on Saturday if not being initially selected was because of his role in the NBA’s investigation of the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer over allegations that the team circumvented the salary cap by paying Leonard under the table through an endorsement deal with a company called Aspiration.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard talks to reporters during the NBA All-Star Game media day. He'll be appearing in his seventh All-Star game on Sunday at Intuit Dome. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
“I’m not sure,” said Leonard, who is eighth in the NBA in scoring at 27.9 points a game. “I don’t think Adam Silver would let something like that play into how a player is playing on the court, especially me. I’m not doing anything.”
Aspiration, which has since filed for bankruptcy, agreed to pay Leonard $28 million over four years. The Clippers have denied the allegations.
The NBA has a new format for the All-Star Game, “U.S. vs. the World.” It will be a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games.
There are two U.S. teams. Leonard will be on the USA Stripes with some of the veterans uch as James and Kevin Durant.
Leonard was asked about his view of the new format.
“I can’t say I hate it or I love it, 'cause I really don’t know what the situation is,” Leonard said. “I know it’s three teams and is it like a pickup game where we wait until somebody scores? But I’d rather it just be East and West and just go out there and compete and see what the outcome is. I don’t think no format can make you compete …”
Fans and media have complained that the players don’t play hard enough and don’t seem to care.
With Stephen Curry, James and Durant near the end of their careers, Durant was asked why the NBA saw the need to make improvements to the All-Star Game.
“I just feel like fans and media need something to complain about, and the All-Star Game don't make them feel like they felt when they were kids,” Durant said. “They need something to complain about. I don't think it's that big of a deal, to be honest — the All-Star Game, All-Star weekend. Just here to celebrate the game of basketball.
"People [are] still coming to celebrate the game of basketball. They're coming to watch. People at home are complaining about the game and the intensity of it. I don't think we'll ever get past that, but to see everybody still here, showing up, doing their jobs, pushing the game forward through this weekend, you go around the city, it's so much energy in the city, so many past greats. … I just think it's way bigger than that this weekend. We can talk about who plays harder or the U.S. team versus the World.”
